Win 10 automatic updates encounter troubles with driver management software

Last week, Microsoft confirmed that it would force users to automatically download and install all Windows updates. Users expressed dissatisfaction and concerns. According to Forbes, some of the users' concerns have now become a reality.

Just four days before the release of Windows 10, its automatic update policy encountered major trouble for the first time, causing many PCs to stop functioning properly.

Unpleasant Driver

The problem is related to Nvidia graphics cards. Users have posted on Nvidia's support forums that Windows Update automatically installed new drivers, disrupting multi-monitor setups, SLI (dual graphics card configurations), and even preventing the PC from fully booting and Windows 10 entering emergency recovery mode.

Forbes contributor Paul Monckton encountered this problem. He explained that the problem lies in the conflict between Windows Update and Nvidia's driver and software management tool "Nvidia GeForce Experience". "Version 353.54 of the driver is only released through Window Update. The problem is that Nvidia GeForce Experience will try to downgrade the driver to the previous version while thinking that the previous version is the newer version."

To make matters worse, Windows Update doesn't display version numbers or alert users before installing drivers, making it difficult to pinpoint the cause of the problem.

On systems configured with SLI, Windows Update on Windows 10 currently thinks it must update two devices when in fact a single update covers both graphics cards, causing the update package to be installed once and again.

Update package conflicts

According to Forbes, the problem is that many PC components and peripherals already come with software that automatically manages driver updates. PC manufacturers often pre-install driver update management software on PCs ( Lenovo is a famous example), which may conflict with driver updates released by Windows Update.

Therefore, unless Windows Update and third-party driver management software receive update packages at the same time, an upgrade and downgrade war will break out between them. Users can stop third-party software from updating drivers, but if the driver problem is caused by Windows Update (like the Nvidia graphics driver problem this time), uninstalling the driver will not prevent Windows 10 from reinstalling, causing this problem to recur.

Interestingly, this was not a problem in previous versions of Windows because Windows Update classified driver updates as "Optional" and would alert users when driver updates were available.

How to solve this problem? There are currently two types of solutions to this problem, short-term or long-term solutions.

Short-term solution

Forbes pointed out that given that the Windows 10 update process cannot be stopped, the most obvious solution is to uninstall third-party driver management software and leave the task of updating drivers entirely to Windows Update to prevent conflicts. This may simplify things by providing an integrated update service, but it means making professional companies give up their control over their products.

Another way is to modify Windows Update. This method may work at first, but in April, Helen Harmetz, senior manager of Microsoft product marketing, said that users who forcibly stop installing Windows 10 update packages may not be able to get security update packages. Microsoft has not yet confirmed this statement in official documents, but if Microsoft chooses to implement this strategy, any form of modification to the update service will be meaningless.

Long-term solution

Forbes said that a long-term solution for Microsoft is to allow users to turn off automatic updates for non-essential update packages such as drivers, or at least remind users before the driver is updated.

Unless Microsoft makes a 180-degree policy change, this is impossible. Microsoft may recommend Fast Rings and Slow Rings to users. Users who are worried about downloading and installing defective update packages on their systems can choose Slow Ring, which will receive update packages one month later than Fast Ring.

The prerequisites for adopting this solution are that a) users are willing to postpone receiving the update package for one month; b) users believe that Microsoft can fix the problematic update package within one month; c) it will not scare away enough Fast Ring users, otherwise there will not be enough "guinea pigs" to test the new update package. After all, Windows 10 users choose the Slow Ring by default.

Finding a balance

It's important to understand the potential benefits of Microsoft making Windows 10's update service unstoppable. While bugs like the Nvidia graphics driver issue are a side effect of this decision, there are many more problems with PCs caused by untimely software updates than by too frequent updates. Therefore, Microsoft's strategy will improve the reliability and security of millions of Windows 10 computers around the world.

In the view of some industry insiders, Microsoft is too arbitrary. Microsoft should enable the automatic update process by default, but allow users to change this setting for non-security update packages, or provide the ability to pass some driver updates from Windows Update to third-party software such as Nvidia GeForce Experience. Companies such as Nvidia are experts in their products.

Ultimately, it's a question of balance: security vs flexibility, control vs choice. In Forbes' view, with just a few days left before the release, Microsoft has clearly not found this balance.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.